Melo (also known as Malo) is an Afro-Asiatic language spoken in the Gamo Gofa Zone of the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People's Region in Ethiopia.
Case There are eight cases in Malo. Nominative Accusative Dative Genitive Instrumental Commutative Ablative
Nominative case Nominative case has <i> and <a> for masculine and feminine markers respectively.
However, if there is a vowel at the end of the noun, the masculine came marker<i> will change to <y>.
Examples, Nominative NounNominative Case MarkerVerbPerfectAffirmative
Markerdura-ygup-e-zsheepjumpedThe sheep jumped.Nominative NounNominative Case MarkerVerbPerfectAffirmative
Markergemata-yye?-e-zoxcameThe ox came.
Nominative feminine case takes the marker <a> with definite marker <t>.
Examples, Nominative NounDefinite MarkerNominative Case MarkerVerbPerfectAffirmative
Markerkapa-t-apri-e-zbirdflyThe bird fly
Proper nouns also take the nominative case marker <i> and <a>.
Examples, Proper NounNominative Case MarkerVerbPerfectAffirmative
MarkerDayda-ymiiz-e-zDayda(Name)laughedDayda laughed
Accusative case The marker <-a> is for masculine nouns.
Example, Nominative NounNominative Case MarkerAccusative NounAccusative Case Marker MasculineVerbPerfectAffirmative Markeras-igamata-a?ad-e-zmanoxhitThe man hit the ox.
The maker <-o> is for feminine nouns. It is attached to the definite marker ‘t’.
Example, Nominative NounNominative
Case MarkerAccusative NounDefinitive MarkerAccusative
Feminine MarkerVerbPerfectAffirmative markergadara-ymaha-t-obe?ezHyenatigersawThe hyena saw the tiger.
*Proper nouns are not inflected for the accusative case marker.
Similarities Between Nominative and Accusative Masculine Nominative and Accusative Case Markers stay the same for the plural nouns which are <i> and <a> respectively.
Nominative and Accusative Case Marker is always to be definite. Indefinite nouns do not take Nominative and Accusative Case.
Dative case Dative Case Markers are <s> and <as>.
Examples, NominativeNominative Case MarkerAccusative NounAccusative Cace MarkerDative NounDative Case MarkerVerbPresent PerfetAffirmative case markertan-igamata-aBa?uno-s?ing-e-zIoxBa?unogaveI gave the ox to Ba?uno.
Genitive case Genitive Case uses two different ways to express.
1. Possessive Pronoun before Possessed Noun.
2. Third person possessive pronoun marker ‘pa’
1. Possessive pronoun: Possessive PronounsGlossPossessed NounaGlosstamyta-ketsmy housenuournu-ketsour houseneyournu-ketsyour house 2nd mas/femyiyouryi-ketsyour house 2ndehise-ketshis houseiheri-ketsher houseutheiru-ketstheir house
Examples,
Deka afila – Deka's cloth
Ta afila – my cloth
E afila – his cloth
2. Here ‘pa’ refers to ownership. In third person possessive pronouns are replaced with pa. ehise-ketshis houseiheri-ketsher houseutheiru-ketstheir house
Examples, Nominative Noun (As Pronoun)Nominative Case MarkerAdding ‘pa’Possessed NounDefinitive MarkerAccusative MarkerVerbPerfectiveAffirmativei-apainda-t-okad-e-zsheher motherlovedShe loved her mother
iz-a pa inda-t-o kad-e-z – She loved her mother.
Instrumental case Instrumental case markers are <r> and <ar>.
Examples, Nominal NounNominal Case MarkerPronoun (As Accusative Case)Accusative MarkerInstrumental NounInstrumental Case MarkerVerbPerfectiveAffirmativena?-yez-asucc-ar?ad-e-zchildhestonehitThe child hit him with a stone.asa-ygamma-akawe-rwood-e-zmanliongunkilledThe man killed the lion with a gun.
Commutative case Commutative case markers are <r> and -<ar> with ‘wola’.
Here, the word ‘wola’ means together.
Examples, Nominative NounGenitive /Nominative Case MarkerCommutative NounCommutative Case MarkerWolaVerbPerfectiveAffirmativeizapaazin-arwolawoy-e-zshehis husbandtogethersleptShe slept with her husband together.nu ise-rwolam-e-z brothertogetherateWe ate with our brother together.
Ablative case Ablative case markers are <p> and <ap>.
It depicts the place of departure and a source the noun comes from.
Examples, Nominative NounDefinitive MarkerNominative Case MarkerAblative CaseAblative Case MarkerVerbPerfectiveAffirmativekassa -yawasa-pye?-e-zKassafrom AwasacameKassa came from Awasa.dees-t-adere-pye-e-zgoatfrom mountaincameThe goat came from the mounta
Notes